Author: Nicole Carpenter

This has been a special time for our family of 3 to be together before baby number 2 arrives in mid-May. We are getting creative with ways to entertain our two-year-old son Harley, while both trying to work from home. We’re doing lots of cooking together, playing outside, watching movies and cuddles! 

I am an Interior Designer and I own my own business, L. Kate Interiors LLC. I normally work from home and have clients in the local CT and NY area. Currently there is very little work that I can do since venders are temporarily closed across the nation and contractors cannot go inside homes to finish up projects. I am able to do some design work for future projects but cannot get anything completed for current jobs. Luckily my clients have been very understanding during this time and I hope to get things moving again as soon as we can! I’ve enjoyed seeing how past clients are enjoying spending so much time in their homes that have been fully furnished and designed by LKI. My husband Zach, is a Sales Director for a digital ad tech company. Given the effects of COVID-19 he is now working at home full time vs his normal commute into New York four days a week. Business has definitely been affected, but with all of the advancements in virtual conference calls, he’s still been able to keep up with all of his normal responsibilities from the comfort of his home office (our dining room!). 

I started hearing about it at the end of January but didn’t understand the impact. Now, the biggest change in my daily life is the lack of work that I am able to do at this time. I am used to dropping off my son at daycare every morning and filling my entire day with work until I pick him up. Normally, my days go by fast but I accomplish a lot and that feels good! The things that make me feel accomplished now have completely switched and the days are longer but I am able to have time with my family which is a wonderful silver lining to all this. 

I am very proud of our community. I think we all jumped into Social Distancing very quickly for something that seemed so surreal and foreign to us. Places we all love to go to in town and look forward to visiting are empty, streets are quiet but people are still smiling and friendly. For such a scary time, I am impressed with how we have all handled this. 

Growing up Jewish and learning about the history of our culture and the hardships that were endured has given me a unique perspective on life. Nothing can prepare you to live through what we are experiencing now, but understanding that difficult times have occurred throughout history allows you to look beyond the immediate effect on daily life and see the bigger picture that we’ll make it through okay. 

Being a teacher is hard, being a mother is hard, being pregnant is hard, running a business is hard, but being everything at the same time is near impossible. I’m trying to stay positive everyday and giving it my best! 

Dawn Collins has lived in Westport for 20 years although she originally hails from Maine. She lives with her daughter, a high school freshman, their dog and cat. 

My best friend’s daughter is a NICU [Neonatal Intensive Care Unit] nurse and she emphasized the seriousness of Corona Virus from the beginning. I am an elementary school special education paraprofessional and from the minute they sent us home from school, I didn’t go out without mask and hand sanitizer. People told me I was fool and that I looked like an idiot, and that masks do nothing but I didn’t care. I keep my groceries on my porch then I wash them and bring them in. I’m keeping us safe—my child, and myself.  

I wasn’t as scared in the beginning but I am more scared now. It’s the dribs and drabs of information coming in and the arrogant people who continue to cluster and think it’s not going to happen to them. I wonder is it because they feel they are that important or that they can afford the best doctors? I’m not sure what the thinking is and it scares me. I do think it’s harder on other people than on me because they haven’t learned to live without.  Before this we didn’t go out to dinner, we weren’t shopping to keep ourselves busy. So, on that end, I’m good. 

I’ve been very busy, supporting my teachers by helping to provide activities that special education students can do at home and resources for parents to help them.  I’m also making masks for my friend’s daughter and the nurses she knows. So far, I’ve made 50 for her and her friends. It is good because I’m a person who needs a purpose. 

My hope coming out of this is that we will all continue to be good neighbors. People have shown me such kindness, I can’t even believe it. My fear is that so many people will lose their jobs. I don’t fear for myself–I’ve been poor, I’ve been needy, I know how to do it. I’m scared for the people in our community who work in hospitality or retail. What’s going to happen to them? I hope that people will take note. There are still people who think this is a hoax. I can’t wrap my head around that, that’s worrisome. I just want people to continue to be nice to each other.  

At 91 years old, Larry Untermeyer is still very much the international jet-setting man-about-town he was back in his days as an original “mad man” in the heady golden era of Manhattan’s advertising scene. A 58-year resident of Westport, Larry moved here with wife, Nikki, and raised two children. He is known to most about Westport as the gentleman with the camera—a second career born out of a hobby from his advertising days. The adopted son of the celebrated poet, Louis Untermeyer, Larry’s life reads like an adventure novel: He’s been on the stage, served in the Army during the Korean War both entertaining troops and as a special service agent, worked as a producer in television, radio, motion pictures and documentaries. He continues his world travels—58 countries and counting– including, recently, a photo-safari to Africa.  

“Being cooped up is hardest for me. I feel like a caged lion but I think we’re all handling it. The town is handling it. It’s a great town, by the way, I wouldn’t have lived anywhere else and I could have. I stayed here because of the beautiful town and great people.  

I could go crazy if I wanted to but I don’t want to. I do wish I was a few years younger to be running around. I have another great-grandchild on the way in August, in Germany. My first great grandchild—Luna—is 1 ½. I wanted to go to Germany and Italy this year, but that’s all blown up now. Of course, I don’t know if I’ll ever see them again. I’m here waiting to see if I can travel. I still take pictures from my window—a lot of them. And I have a lot of pictures to organize, so I’m pretty busy here.

I am very fearful about the fact that I don’t think this country will be the same again. I think we are in for terrible times for the next generation. It will depend on the next president. If it’s Trump for another four years I wouldn’t want to be here, he is a horrible man who has done horrible things. I have no respect for anyone in the Congress, even Democrats, who didn’t scream enough and didn’t do enough to fight. The little TV that I watch is so full of disinformation that it’s disheartening. I am afraid this country is going to be a dictatorship soon –it’s all being made up as they go along and nobody stops them. 

For now, I’ll stay in my house and behave. I can do it. I get angry but I can do it. When the weather turns better, I’ll be on the porch. Of course, there’s a number of things I worry about– I can’t get cleaners in or house maintenance done.  But hey, if my yard grows to be a big field, I might have to plant oats and alfalfa. When I was young, I grew up on a farm in upstate New York so I’m very familiar with that sort of thing. I just remind myself, I have a beautiful house, and a beautiful property. I still have a few dollars in the bank. I’m luckier than 99% of the people in the world.